Unrolling device for fourdrinier wires



Sept. 29, 1942. w, WEBB 2,297,593

UNROLLING DEVICE FOR FOURDRINIER WIRES Filed Feb. 11, 1941 INVENTORNELEDNW WEBB.

' ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 29, 1942 UNROLLING DEVICE FOR FOURDRINIERWIRES Nelson W. Webb, Montclair, N. J., assignor to Eastwood-NealleyCorporation, Belleville, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey ApplicationFebruary 11, 1941, Serial No. 378,361

8 Claims. (01. 242-54) The present invention relates to an unrollingdevice for Fourdrinier wires, and has for its object to provide a deviceto be operated in relation to a Fourdrinier paper making machine duringinstallation of a new wire to unroll such wire as received from the wiremanufacturer in a convenient, rapid manner, and particularly in such away as to prevent any possibility of damage to the wire, it beingunderstood that any twisting, kinking or pinching strains imposedthereon may seriously impair the paper making surface and materiallyshorten the life of the expensive wire.

Fourdrinier wires, which are in the form of a relatively long, wideendless belt of fine mesh woven wire, are shipped in rolled relationupon poles, so as to prevent any sharp bends being made therein, threepoles usually being employed, one being engaged in each end of theendless belt, and the third pole being layed over one side of the outersurface adjacent one of the end poles, these two adjacent poles thenserving as a winding core about which the rest of the wire is wound. theother end of the wire with the other end pole engaged therein beinglayed over the wound wire, the whole being then secured by suitablewrapping ready for shipment. The practice of unrolling in the paper millhas consisted in supporting the projecting ends of the pair of adjacentwinding poles in fixed slings supported from a beam rigged over the Pper machine, and thereupon unrolling by means of handles nailed to theends of the poles, one man turning at one end and another at the otherend, while the third pole is pulled in unrolling direction along thepaper machine by a man carrying it at each end or by suitable cranehooks. Now, when it is considered that the two poles rest in stationaryslings having a high co-eflicient of friction, and that the weight of anaverage size wire and two poles is over 300 pounds, it is seen that anunequal force exerted on the handles will twist the poles to anun-parallel position, and tend to kink, twist and pinch the delicatelayer of wire cloth between the two poles. Sometimes, also, the man atone side may be called away to do something else, leaving one man onlyto turn, which produces an extremely unbalanced force on the wire.

It is proposed in the present invention to provide a device which willimpart equal turning force to the two ends of the pair of winding poles,so that there will be no possibility of the poles assuming anun-parallelposition and kinking the wire, and further which may beoperated from or from both sides by two men, as desired. Another objectis to provide a device which is adjustable to accommodate various widthsof wires in different width paper making machines.

With the above and other objects in view an embodiment of the inventionis shown in the accompanying drawing, and this embodiment will behereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and theinvention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an unrolling device, according to theexemplary illustrated embodiment of the invention, the wire being shownpartially unrolled.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one end of the device, with intermediateportions broken away, the other end being of identical form.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation, partially broken away.

Fig. 4 is an end view, partially broken away, showing the arrangement ofthe wire and poles about to be rolled.

Fig. 5 is an end view, showing the rolled and. wrapped wire ready forshipment.

Similar reference. characters indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several figures ot the drawing.

Referring to the drawing the unrolling device, according to theillustrated embodiment of the invention, comprises a supporting beam l0,preterably in the form of a length of cylindrical steel I tubing, andwhich is adapted to be suspended across the end of the paper makingmachine from a suitable traveling crane, being provided for this purposewith a. pair of I-bolts llll for engagement by the crane hooks i2-l2.The I-bolts are rigidly secured to the beam by engaging the shankportion I3 of each of them through holes I and 15 in the beam andwelding the shoulder portion l6 around the upper hole ll, as at H, andwelding the lower end of the shank in the lower hole i5, as at ll.

Upon each end and at the center of the beam Hi there is secured abearing hanger member i9, having a circular hole 20 in its upper portionin which the beam is engaged and secured by a set screw 2|, and also bywelding at suitable spots, as at 22, and having in its lower portion acircular hole 23, in which is fitted a bearing bushing ring 24,preferably bronze, secured by set-screws 25, one at each side and one atthe bottom.

Within the bearing bushings 24 there is roeither side of the papermachine by one man, tatably supported the roller beam 26, which ispreferably formed of the same cylindrical steel tubing as the supportingbeam ID, the roller beam projecting beyond the bearing hanger at eachend and having a toothed ratchet cap 21 rigidly mounted and securedthereon by means of a set-screw 28, and which acts as a thrust bearingcollar to prevent longitudinal shifting of the roller beam. A hand wheel29 is secured by a nut 30 upon a square cross-section stud 3| secured inthe end of the ratchet cap by a pin 32. A ratchet lever 33 having atooth 34 is pivoted upon the hanger member l9 by means of a stud 35 andis adapted to be engaged with the ratchet cap 21 to lock it againstrotation, being swung out of engagement, as shown in Fig. 1, duringturning operation of the roller beam 26.

Near each end of the roller beam there is engaged an endless sling belt36, which may be formed of rubberized canvas, or other suitablematerial, having the necessary strength to support the rolled wire andpoles and a high coeflicient of friction to cause it to grip thesurfaces of the roller beam and the wire winding poles, so that as theroller beam is turned the two sling belts are positively and equallydriven to impart equal turning movement to the ends of the windingpoles.

The belt is prevented from shifting by means of a belt guide 31 in theform of a U-shape sheet metal yoke, the upright sides of which are eachprovided at the upper portion with a circular hole 38 engaged by thesupporting beam l and at its lower portion with a larger circular hole39 freely engaged by the roller beam 26, the sides of the guide engagingat each edge of the belt and the transverse connecting portion extendingthrough it beneath the roller beam. The holes 38 are only slightlylarger than the beam I0, and the sides are normally sprung outwardly indivergent relation, so that the edges of these holes frictionally gripthe beam to secure the position of the guide. In order to shift theguide to adjust the position of the belt the sides are simply pressedinto parallel relation thus releasing the grip of the hole edges on thebeam and allowing the guide to slide freely.

In Figs. 4 and I have illustrated the manner in which the Fourdrinierwire to be unrolled by the device of the invention is rolled andprepared for shipment to the paper mill. Three poles A, B and C areused, which may be wood poles, or tubular steel poles with wood plugsdriven in the ends, these being longer than the width of the Fourdrinierwire W, so that their ends project. The poles A and C are engaged in theends of the endless wire belt, and the pole B is thereupon layed uponthe upper surface adjacent the pole A, so that a layer of wire isbetween the poles A and B. The wire is then wound around the poles A andB, which form a winding core, the end of the wound wire with theinserted pole C being finally placed upon the upper surface of the woundwire, as shown in Fig. 5, and the roll of wire being then secured by asuitable bands or cords to hold the three poles together and by wrapping40.

When received at the paper mill the wrapping is removed from the wire,the bands or cords which hold the three poles together are cut, and thepoles A and B are placed in the sling belts 3635. By means of a cranethe whole device is lifted and the belts 3536 are revolved to allow poleC with the loop of wire cloth around it to hang suspended several feetbelow poles A and B. The roller beam 28 is locked in this position bythe ratchet levers 33 engaging the ratchet caps 21. The umolling deviceholding the poles and wire are then transported by a crane and the loopof wire cloth between the poles A and B and pole C is slid over thecouch roll of the paper machine. The pole C by means of a second craneor by a man on each side of the machine is transported lengthwise of thepaper machine during which time the roller beam 26 is rotated by meansof the handwheels 29, or by one of them, causing the sling belts 36-38to be driven to impart equal turning movement to the poles A and B andthus unroll the wire W, the poles A and B remaining in constant parallelrelation to each other during this operation. When the wire iscompletely unrolled the ratchet levers 33 are engaged with the ratchetcaps 21 to lock the roller beam against rotation, and the pole B isthereupon removed, the wire belt now being ready to have the papermachine rolls engaged in its ends in place of the poles A and C.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodimentof the invention, but it will be understood that changes may be madetherein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A portable unrolling device for a Fourdrinier wire belt, wound upon apair of cylindrical poles disposed in contiguous parallel relation toeach other with their ends projecting beyond the longitudinal edges ofsaid wire belt and said pair of contiguous parallel poles providing awinding core of non-circular cross-section, comprising supportingbearing means adapted for attachment to a crane or the like andincluding a plurality of spaced bearings, a roller beam comprising acylindrical member rotatably supported at its ends in said bearings, andincluding an elongated cylindrical pulley surface disposed between saidbearings, manually operable means connected to said roller beam forimparting manually controlled rotation to it from a point immediatelyadjacent an end of said roller beam, and a pair of equal length slingbelts engaged over and depending from said pulley surface and adjustablethereon toward and away from each other adapted to receive the ends ofsaid poles with the wire belt disposed thereon, whereby said wire beltis free to unwind from said poles as they are rotated. said sling beltsadapted to be simultaneously land equally driven through rotation ofsaid roller earn.

2. A portable unrolling device for a Fourdrinier wire belt, wound upon apair of cylindrical poles disposed in contiguous parallel relation toeach other with their ends projecting beyond the longitudinal edges ofsaid wire belt and said pair of contiguous parallel poles providing awinding core of non-circular cross-section, comprising a cylindricaltubular supporting beam adapted for attachment to a crane or the like, aplurality of bearing hanger members secured to said supporting beam,each having 9. depending portion provided with a cylindrical bearingopening, a roller beam comprising a cylindrical tubular beam rotatablysupported adjacent its ends in said bearing openings, and including anelongated cylindrical pulley surface disposed between said hangermembers, manually operable means connected to said roller beam forimparting manually controlled rotation to it from a point immediatelyadjacent an end of said roller beam, and a pair of equal length slingbelts engaged over and depending from said pulley surface and adjustablethereon toward and away from each other adapted to receive the ends ofsaid poles with the wire belt disposed thereon, whereby said wire beltis free to unwind from said poles as they are rotated, said sling beltsadapted to be simultaneously and equally driven through rotation of saidroller beam.

3. A portable unrolling device for a Fourdrinier wire belt, wound upon apair of cylindrical poles disposed in contiguous parallel relation toeach other with their ends projecting beyond the longitudinal edges ofsaid wire belt and said pair of contiguous parallel poles providing awinding core of non-circular cross-section, comprising a supporting beamadapted for attachment to a crane or the like, a plurality of bearinghanger members secured to said supporting beam, one at each end and onesubstantially centrally, each having a depending portion provided with acylindrical bearing opening, a pair of crane attaching means secured tosaid supporting beam respectively between each of said end hangermembers and said central hanger member, a roller beam rotatablysupported adjacent its ends and centrally in said bearing openings, andincluding elongated cylindrical pulley surfaces extending continuouslybetween said end hanger members and said central hanger member, meansconnected to said roller beam for imparting rotation to it, and a pairof equal length sling belts engaged over and depending from saidrespective pulley surfaces and adjustable thereon toward and away fromeach other adapted to receive the ends of said poles with the wire beltdisposed thereon, whereby said wire belt is free to unwind from saidpoles as they are rotated, said sling belts adapted to be simultaneouslyand equally driven through rotation of said roller beam. 7

4. A portable unrolling device for a Fourdrinier wire belt, wound upon apair of cylindrical poles disposed in contiguous parallel relation toeach other with their ends projecting beyond the longitudinal edges ofsaid Wire belt and said pair of contiguous parallel poles providing awinding core of non-circular cross-section, comprising supportingbearing means adapted for attachment to a crane or the like andincluding a plurality of spaced bearings, a roller beam comprising acylindrical member rotatably supported at its ends in said bearings, andincluding an elongated cylindrical pulley surface disposed between saidbearings, a handwheel secured upon each end of said roller beam forimparting direct manual rotation to it from points immediately adjacenteach end of said roller beam, and a pair of equal length sling beltsengaged over and depending from said pulley surface and adjustablethereon toward and away from each other adapted to receive the ends ofsaid poles with the wire belt disposed thereon, whereby said wire beltis free to unwind from said poles as they are rotated, said sling beltsadapted to be simultaneously and equally driven through rotation of saidroller beam.

5. A portable unrolling device for a Fourdrinier wire belt, wound upon apair of cylindrical poles disposed in contiguous parallel relation toeach other with their ends projecting beyond the longitudinal edges ofsaid wire belt and said pair of contiguous parallel poles providing awinding core of non-circular cross-section, comprising a cylindricaltubular supporting beam adapted for attachment to a crane or the like, aplurality of bearing hanger members secured to said supporting beam, oneat each end and one substantially centrally, each having a dependingportion provided with a cylindrical bearing opening, a pair of craneattaching means secured to said supporting beam respectively betweeneach of said end hanger members and said central hanger member, a rollerbeam comprising a cylindrical tubular member rotatably supportedadjacent its ends and centrally in said bearing openings, and includingelongated cylindrical pulley surfaces extending continuously betweensaid end hanger member and said central hanger member, a handwheelsecured upon each end of said roller beamfor imparting direct manualrotation to it from points immediately adjacent each end of said rollerbeam, and a pair of equal length slin belts engaged over and dependingfrom said respective pulley surfaces and adjustable thereon toward andaway from each other adapted to receive the ends of said poles with thewire belt disposed thereon, whereby said wire belt is free to unwindfrom said poles as they are rotated, said sling belts adapted to besimultaneously and equally driven through rotation of said roller beam.

6. A portable unrolling device for a Fourdrinier wire belt, wound upon apair of cylindrical poles disposed in contiguous parallel relation toeach other with their ends projecting beyond the longitudinal edges ofsaid wire belt and said pair of contiguous parallel poles providing awinding core of non-circular cross-section, comprising supportingbearing means adapted for attachment to a crane or the like andincluding a plurality of spaced bearings, a roller beam comprising acylindrical member rotatably supported at its ends in said bearings, andincluding an elongated cylindrical pulley surface disposed between saidbearings, manually operable means connected to said roller beam forimparting manually controlled rotation to it from a point immediatelyadjacent an end of said roller beam, a pair of equal length sling beltsengaged over and depending from said pulley surface and adjustablethereon toward and away from each other adapted to receive the ends ofsaid poles vwith the wire belt disposed thereon, whereby said wire beltis free to unwind from said poles as they are rotated, said sling beltsadapted to be simultaneously and equally driven through rotation of saidroller beam, and a pair of sling belt guide means each includingabutment portions disposed at each side of one of said sling belts, saidbelt guide means being adjustable longitudinally of said roller beamalong said elongated cylindrical pulley surface thereof.

7. A portable unrolling device for a Fourdrinier wire belt, wound upon apair of cylindrical poles disposed in contiguous parallel relation toeach other with their ends projecting beyond the longitudinal edges ofsaid wire belt and said pair of contiguous parallel poles providing awinding core of non-circular cross-section, comprising supportingbearing means adapted for attachment to a crane or the like andincluding a plurality of spaced bearings, a roller beam comprising acylindrical member rotatably supported at its ends in said bearings, andincluding an elongated cylindrical pulley surface disposed between saidbearings, manually operable means connected to said roller beam forimparting manually controlled rotation to it, from a point immediatelyadjacent an end of said roller beam, a pair of equal length sling beltsengaged over and depending from said pulley surface and adjustablethereon toward and away from each other adapted to receive the ends ofsaid poles with the wire belt disposed thereon, whereby' said wire isfree to unwind from said pair of poles as they are rotated, said slingbelts adapted to be simultaneously and equally driven through rotationof said roller beam, and manually operable latch means arranged tosecure the roller beam against rotation and operable from a pointimmediately adjacent an end of said roller beam,

8. A portable unrolling device for a Fourdrinier wire belt, comprisingin combination a pair of poles, one of said pair of poles being adaptedto be engaged in one end of the loop of a Fourdrlnier wire belt, theother of said pair of poles being adapted to be engaged outside the saidloop contiguous and parallel to the first pole with a thickness of thewire therebetween, a third pole parallel to said pair of poles andadapted to be engaged in the other end of the wire loop, said wire beingwound about said pair of poles into a bundle, each of said three polesbeing longer than the width of said wire and projecting therefrom at itsends, supporting bearing means adapted for attachment to a crane or thelike and including a plurality of spaced bearings, a roller beamrotatably supported in said bearings and including an elongatedcylindrical pulley surface disposed between said bearings, manuallyoperable means connected to said roller beam for imparting manuallycontrolled rotation to it from a point immediately adjacent an end ofsaid roller beam, and a pair of equal length sling belts engaged overand depending from said pulley surface and adjustable thereon toward andaway from each other and adapted to.be simultaneously and equally driventhrough rotation of said roller beam, said sling belts respectivelyreceiving the projecting ends of said pair of poles with the wire beltdisposed thereon, whereby said wire is free to unwind from said pair ofpoles as they are rotated and as said third pole is moved away from saidpair of poles in the unwinding direction of said wire.

NELSON W. WEBB.

